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(No Model.)

J. B. WITTY.

CONNECTION OP RAILWAY SWITCH RODS.

' No. 296,808. f Patented Apr. 15; 1884.

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JOHN B. IVITTY, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

CONNECTION OF RAILWAY-SWITCH RODS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 296,808., dated April l5, 1884.

Application tiled October 20, (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it ric/ay concern,.-

Be it known that I, JOHN B. YVITTY, of the city of Indianapolis, county of Marion, and Stat-e of Indianznhave invented'certain new and useful Improvements in Means of Connecting the Connecting-Rods and Rail-Couplings of Railway-Switches, of which the following is a specification.

The objectof my said invention is to provide a safety coupling or lock for connecting the end ofthe rod which runs from the switch-stand to the rails tothe end of the rail-coupling or bar which connects the railstogetheigwhereby any person is prevented from uncoupling this connection and rendering the switch inoperative, as can be readilyT done when they are connected in the ordinary manner. This object is accomplished by providing a stud on the end of one of the before-mentioned parts, on the end of which are formed wings or projections, and providing in the end ofthe other a hole, in the sides of which are 'formed correspending notches, which permit said stud to be inserted through said hole. `When the Wings are entirely through,one part is turned 'upon the other nntil the Wings are at an angle or out of registeringpesition with the notches, and thus extend out over the face of the engaging part and secure thetwo parts together, es Will be hereinafter more fully described.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which are made a part hereof, and on which similar letters of reference indicate similar parts, Figure l is a plan view of a portion of a railway-track embodying a switch to which my invention is applied; Fig. 2, a sectional view looking to the right from the dotted line e e, Fig. 1,sho\ving the rear side ofthe switchstand 'and the parts to which iny invention is applied in elevation; Fig. 3, a horizontal sectional view looking downwardlyfrornthe dotted line y jy, Fig. 2; Fig. 4,a detail perspective view of the parts embodying my invention on an enlarged scale; Fig. 5, a topor plan view of the saine; Fig. 6, a cross-section on the dotted line x fr; and Fig. 7, alongitudinal section on the dotted line w w, Fig. 5.

In said drawings, the portions marked A represent the head-blocks on which the stand 5o is mounted; B, the stand-frame; C, the operatrod D and rail -coupling E, the other parts shown need no special description,an d may be of any ordinary or approved construction. Therefore the several parts marked A, B, G, and F will not be further described, except incidentally,in the description of my invention.

rjhe connecting-rod D connects the rail-coupling to the crank c on thelower end of the operating-rod C, and is of any suitable construction. In the end which is connected to the railcoupling is formed an eye,in two sides ofwhich are formed notches d d5 preferably opposite to each other.

The rail-coupling E is the ordinary railcoupling used in switches to connect and operate the rails. The end nearest the switchstand extends out a short distance from the rail, and-is provided with an upwardly-projecting stud, E. On the sides of this stud, at its top, are Wings c e, preferably opposite to each other, and on those sides which bring them at right angles with the notches in the sides of the eye in the connecting rod when said connecting-rod and said railcoupling are in line with each other. The stud is of sufficient length to allow for the thickness of the connectingrod between the under side of these Wings and the face ofthe rail-coupling, as shown. In the construction shown the Wings on the stud extend parallel With the rail-coupling, and the notches in the eye extend transversely of the connecting-rod; but, as will be readily under stood, this position may be reversed with equally good result; or they maybe constructed at any angle, provided the notches are not directly underneath the Wings, or even one wing and notch may be oinitted and yet fulfill the object of my invention. I do not, therefore, desire to limit myself to the construction shown, but regard as my invention the use of a stud having a Wing or wings at its top, andan eye provided With a corresponding notch or notches, the connecting-rod being provided with one and the rail-coupling being provided IOO with the other, asa means forloeking said connecting-rod and said rail-coupling together and rendering them substantially burglarproof.77

The operation of inysaid invention is as fol-, lows: rlhe connecting-rod D is placed at such an angle with the rail-coupling E as will allow the Wings e on the stud E to slide up through the notches d. The stud is then inserted through the eye until the wings @project above to the top face of the connecting-rod. Said connecting-rod is then turned around to the proper position and attached tothe crank upon the lower end of the operating-rod C. Thus the wings c are swung out of connection with the notches d and project out over the top of the connecting-rod, thereby securely locking the connecting-rod and rail-eouplin g together, and preventing any person frein diseonnectin g them without iirst tearing down the switch or detaching the other end of the connecting-rod from the crank on the lower end of the operating-rod 0,011 else breaking the stud, the raileoupling, or the connecting-rod.

Having thus fully described niy said invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a 1ailWay-sWitch,the eonibination,with the rails, of a rail-coupling having a stud provided With wings, and a conneetingrod connecting said rail-coupling to the switch-stand, having an eye,in the sides of which are notches adapted to receive said wings, the parts being so arranged, when inoperative position, that the Wings and notches do not register, substantially as described, and for the purposes specihed.

2. In a railway-switch, the combination of the switch-rails F, rail-coupling E, said railcoupling being provided with a stud, E,\vhieh is provided with wings c at its end, and the connecting-rod D, connecting said rail-coup ling to the switch-stand, said connecting-rod being provided with an eye in one end, having recesses d cl inv its sides te receive the Wings e e on the end of the stud E on the rail-coupling, the wings of said stud and the recesses in said eye being placed at an angle with eaeh other when the device is in operative position, whereby said rail-coupling and said connecting-rod are securelyloeked together, substantially as set forth. Y

In witnesswhereof I have 'hereunto set iny hand and seal, at Indianapolis, Indiana, this 16th day of October, A. D. 1883.

JOHN n. WITTY. [L s] In presence of- E. W. BRADFORD, GHAs L. THURBER. 

